Several Baltimore tourist attractions are on such shaky fiscal footing that they could collapse if conditions do not improve.

Promotional efforts are not drawing enough visitors to the Maryland Zoo, Sports Legends at Camden Yards and Geppiâs Entertainment Museum to meet expenses, state officials and a private museum operator told the Board of Public Works last week.

[snip]ââOther than a game day, weâre in a landlocked position,â? said Steve Geppi, a comic book tycoon who owns Geppiâs Entertainment Museum, which features pop culture exhibits and is on the second floor of Camden Station, above Sports Legends.

Seventy-five thousand people visited the museum in its inaugural year, one-third the projected number.

Declining attendance for Orioles games at the stadium next door are also blamed.

Seriously, if you are in the area and don’t go to the Geppi museum, you are missing out on one of the most amazing places for comics fans, history buffs and pop culture junkies in general. We went in September and were flabbergasted.

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I was there with my wife on a Saturday in October and we were the only people in the Museum the whole time we were there. It was the day of the Baltimore Marathon which ended right around the corner. It was amazing to see all that comic history in one place, but I’m not surprised by this news after my experience. If your in the area check it out!

Half the museum’s trouble is that it’s just not publicized very well. For starters, it was probably a mistake to open across from Camden Yards in the OFF season. Secondly, I was LOOKING for the museum, which isn’t even listed among the museums in the Baltimore City Paper. I accidentally drove onto the highway out of town in my efforts to find it, and driving back on the same street it’s on, workers at a nearby chain hotel had never heard of it. It was only once I realized it was above the affiliated Sports Memorabilia museum that I found it; good luck attracting someone who might not be actively seeking it. Like Scott said, on a weekday afternoon in the tourist district, I should not have been the lone patron in the place.

Another suggestion: I know the Geppi’s Comics chains have shuttered, but that’s no reason why the gift shop couldn’t be more of a fully-functional comic shop. Heck knows Baltimore could use a good one. And we’re talking about Diamond’s storefront, here; they can be one of the most complete comic shops conceivable. The selection as it stands is pretty wretched.

But it’s really a wonderful place and I really hope they can pull it out somehow. Where else are you going to see TWO very fine editions (possibly) of ACTION #1 and SUPERMAN #1 in the same place?

Basically, if there’s no game going on, that area of town is dead. You’re not going to get any foot traffic there. I was there the Sunday of the Baltimore comicon, same opening weekend for the museum, and it was pretty dead. That should’ve been the busiest weekend they get all year, and it was dead. A shame, because it’s very nice.

Maybe the article was referring to the entire building being in jeopardy, sports museum included. I’m sure Geppi doesn’t mind losing very much in there. I thought it was more ego-trip than anything. The expense he put into it seems a bit unjustified. I’m drooling all over it, but there was so much wasted space that could’ve been put to better use.

“Half the museum’s trouble is that it’s just not publicized very well.”

Ads are very hard to find. If you look at the house ads in Previews and especially Diamond’s own Disney comics, they are almost all ads for Diamond’s “Scoop” newsletter. Scoop must make a lot of money for Steve Geppi, but why should it be the only thing advertised when the museum obviously needs some ads, too?

Taken together Geppi’s Museum and the Sports Legends Museum are worthy of being tourist destinations unto themselves, yet, by their very nature, seem exclusive. Both are marvelous collections that are chock full of fascinating pieces of history. The displays are imaginative and if anything, like any good museum, are nearly overwhelming in stimulation. The problem here is location in one sense, yet I can’t help but believe if people in Baltimore and the surrounding areas knew what was down there they would flock to Camden Station. And the tourists? You would think they could break away from the Inner Harbor shopathon if they were given a little chum to lead them up Pratt Street.